


Mission 47: Reunion

by SailorStarDust1



Series: MGS Supply Drop 2017 [2]
Category: Metal Gear
Genre: Canon Disabled Character, Demon Snake, F/M, Loosely referenced BBKaz and VKaz, Prompt Fic, Xmas Supply Drop (Metal Gear), Xmas Supply Drop 2017
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-19
Updated: 2017-11-19
Packaged: 2019-01-17 02:38:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12355746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SailorStarDust1/pseuds/SailorStarDust1
Summary: Prompt Fill # 10 from the Metal Gear 2017 Xmas Supply Drop: "Quiet/Venom Snake reunion, their last moments together, a happy ending, anything!"





	Mission 47: Reunion

**Author's Note:**

  * For [HummingValkyrie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HummingValkyrie/gifts).



> I vaguely remember having this general VQuiet idea in mind but I don’t believe I ever went through writing it. Either way, I really hope the requester enjoys this❤️
> 
> Happy Holidays, since this is for the Supply Drop on Christmas Day~

_“Quiet’s gone for good, Boss. Just…try to let it go.”_

Ocelot’s advice a month prior over the comms, while sound, felt like nothing but a distant memory. DD, nuzzling against Snake’s knee, began to whimper, a pitiful cry from the back of his throat. He had been deployed at Snake’s request just two days ago, and was already beginning to tucker out. A lack of resting at Ocelot’s side while the cowboy held meetings with new recruits—or even relaxing in Miller’s office, who’d spoil him with treats since nobody else was looking—was sorely missed.

The sweltering heat of Afghanistan didn’t seem to faze Snake—who wore his olive drab fatigues with scarf loosely hung around his neck—no longer did his bloodied body or his elongated shrapnel ‘horn’ bother him…

Utterly fitting for  _his_ shadow, it felt.

A cruel smirk immediately formed at the corners of his lips.

Venom’s good eye slowly trailed down towards soft contact bumping his knee, his bloodied, fingerless gloved hand lightly pat the wolf’s fuzzy head. A single love tap. Utterly delighted at his master’s seemingly forgotten affections, his kind touch, DD happily nuzzled into the man’s hand, tongue lightly lapping the man’s fingers.

He seemingly didn’t mind the blood, despite Snake never barking orders for the wolf-dog to ‘Kill’.

“Adam.”

Venom, yet again, smirked to himself. Calling him that…was such an utter lie, his private revelations of that cassette tape ‘gift’ not so ironically received—listened to in full—before this personal expedition began, last month.

Clearing his head, to get away from it all. Mother Base.

The stress.

Freedom to take what he needed and send back home, to kill those who interfered in the midst of his work. ‘Peacefully’ recruiting via fulton or accepting volunteers was no longer a necessity when Diamond Dogs had grown as big as it had over the past year.

Fultoning or leaving unfit potential recruits rendered unconscious…Without her—let alone her Guilty Butterfly to steady his thoughts, her ‘firing when ready’ hums to calm his occasional nerves—any genuine kindness from the sheer goodness of his heart felt rather pointless.

Empty, even.

Radio static crackled, Ocelot’s voice came in—finally—at length. Maybe he forgot to turn on his end of the radio. “…Boss?”

“Requesting an extraction for DD.”

“Roger that. Yourself?” Ocelot didn’t dare ask why Snake contacted him, rather than Miller.

“Besides needing to change fatigues soon? I’ll manage.”

Truth (…sigh) be told, Snake was uncertain how to talk to Kazuhira. How long had he known? How long had either of his alleged allies known? _Had_ they known? As such, was Kaz disgusted? Relieved? Perhaps longing for that other man?

Ignorance was eternally bliss, Venom privately decided, a month ago. Kaz was generally one to bring up issues to Venom when _he_ thought they were pressing. Best not to rock the boat and abruptly change the status quo, potential relationship strains—friendship, extremely important to them both during MSF—aside.

DD, ever obedient, sat on his haunches as Snake tightly fastened a fulton device across his dog’s chest. Tongue lolling out his mouth through light pants, DD cocked his head to the side in slight confusion.

Didn’t Snake need his rest, too?

“Good boy. Ocelot and Pequod will get you settled in.”

V’s hand lingered atop DD’s head while the pup feebly attempted to reach out and lick. Venom chuckled lightly, standing to back up a good foot away within the grassy fields, his arms crossed. DD yelped once his fulton balloon activated, lifting him before he soared high through clear skies above.

Not a single cloud in that blue, blue, sky.

The _perfect_ kind of sunny day that she would’ve loved.

 _Her Guilty Butterfly within easy reach, her back was flat against a large boulder. Sprinkling her skin with the water from his canteen. Quiet was all smiles_ — _and not just because the parasites within her were momentarily silenced in their needs._

_She had caught his calm—somewhat shy—gaze, he was attempting to hide a smile…Before he began to lightly chuckle, to which Quiet couldn’t help but giggle in reply._

_That single yet clear blue eye was beginning to shine with something new in their most recent missions together. She_ had _finally worked up the courage to sit closer to him, in the chopper—beginning to trust one another was only natural._

_Yet she didn’t dare sit in the chair next to his, generally occupied by Big Boss’s iDroid and other accessories. That would feel far too…intimate._

_Perhaps, one day._

_Shy glances and small smiles were more and more frequently exchanged between them in the ACC…_

_There were, too, those star-filled nights, the sky simply a gorgeous shade of midnight blue, when he would return to Base—to the Medical Platform—after long hours deployed with DD or D-Horse. To relax with good music and review any new recruits on his iDroid, while sitting against her cell…Her hand, once, was bold enough to squeeze his shoulder before resting there._

_Venom’s head turned slightly, his eye locked, perhaps searchingly, with hers before he offered a small smile which she immediately returned._

_His eye found its place on the sentence last left off in the glowing iDroid document, returning silently to his work._

_V’s prosthetic hand, despite the lack of real flesh, slowly intertwined with her own fingers._

_Neither were in a hurry to let go, mutually enjoying_ “Too Shy” _drifting throughout Quiet’s ‘room’, the moon illuminating their frames, distantly above her cell._

_As Quiet currently beckoned towards him with a finger, Venom couldn’t help but obey. Sitting on the grass as their knees bumped, Quiet laughed loudly while dumping some water atop his head. He flinched slightly due to the shock of cool liquid against his own skin, before quiet titters escaped his lips once more._

_Perhaps such innocent relaxation in between a prisoner extraction request, them currently en route to a blueprint retrieval location was foolish. Far too frivolous._

_At least they needn’t worry about running low when local water sources were plentiful._

_Venom knew, at the very least, that he wanted to hear her laughter again, someday in the future._

Perhaps there was wisdom in Ocelot’s words, he internally mused, puffing his Phantom Cigar with his eye narrowed. He began to walk, quietly enjoying the herbs filling his senses via the smoke wafting through the slight breeze, lightly blowing blades of grass within his field of vision.

Uncertain of his destination, with heavy footsteps he walked away from the peaceful patch of grass and trees, heading for the scalding and distant desert sands.

He simply couldn’t forget someone as special as her.

Certainly not so easily.

She had kept him grounded, her gradual kindness gave him strength—a sense of inner peace—throughout their countless missions together, but her disappearance coupled with the Truth revealed to him…

It was increasingly difficult to emotionally keep himself in check.

For Kaz’s sake, and for  _that woman’s_ sake, he’d continually give the order for Diamond Dogs to dismantle any nukes that ended up in their possession.

_Another mission, right Boss?_

…But…

His seething anger at the world, Skull Face’s death aside, was not so easily quenched. Maybe if Quiet had been properly inducted into Diamond Dogs instead of Staff fearing her, instead of her ~~eventually~~ potentially throwing her life away for  _him_ —nothing more than a body double of the Legend!—perhaps then, his anger wouldn’t be so…

He continued walking through the deserts until his legs burned partially from the subconscious knowledge of _where_ he was headed. He continued walking, until that painfully familiar setting immediately caused his heart to seize up within his chest.

That tree which she had strung her recorded farewell, using his cassette tape and Walkman (Snake wasn’t a huge fan of “She Blinded Me With Science”, anyway). Her footsteps long ago faded with the months that had passed Venom by, nothing more than memories in the desert.

…Still…

He did his best to follow the trail, to the best of his knowledge.

Having done so many times in recent memory in the past, even circling the area with Callsign Pequod’s assistance, only to fall short with absolutely nothing to show for his efforts.

As trusted (Venom could only hope) allies that Ocelot and Kaz were, neither of them could possibly understand.

He didn’t expect them to, he didn’t _want_ them to see the painful position thrust upon him.

These months of blood-lust, of utter agony without her quiet comfort, of this recently added pressure given the Truth despite Ahab’s newfound pride, newfound purpose…

Grunting from biting winds and scorching heat, grains of hot sand whipping against his face, Snake fastened the scarf around his beard and mouth. Through his squinting good eye, he veered a right rather than left. The entire area felt essentially explored in full, months prior with no luck, yet he’d follow the nagging voices in the back of his head telling him to not give up so easily.

For her sake.

* * *

Thankful the sand storms temporarily quieted in their ferocity, with a glance at the watch atop his prosthetic arm, Venom was rather displeased in realizing barely an hour had passed from current investigation efforts.

Taking another swig of water from his canteen—plenty remained, just in case—while resting against seemingly millions of grains under his boots, he was vaguely thankful the current area was so utterly unfamiliar to him. A small amount of progress, at least. He wiped his mouth using the back of his real hand before screwing the cap and returning it to his weapons belt.

Ocelot was correct in his ‘wisdom’ that Afghanistan truly _was_ a big place.

Venom himself felt this refusal to let go was bizarre, when the day’s journey could’ve been yet another foolish failure disguised as a rescue mission—and for, truly, utterly nothing.

A seemingly endless chain of gray mountains in the far distance to his right—some potentially scalable—his eye narrowed at the form he thought he saw.

Certainly it must have been a trick of the heat and light, any human soul venturing out _this_ far alone would’ve long perished from thirst or heat, unless they were her. Code Talker’s explanation, once upon a time, of the Parasites—without water or sunlight—shutting down their host’s body in a form of suspended animation suddenly came flooding back to him.

“Hmph. Nothing but a pipe dream.”

His voice, rough from his long day’s exhaustion, bitterly spat out towards nothing in particular. Still, he offered silent gratitude that his radio was long switched off for essential alone time.

Regardless, he found himself unable to look away. A figure, belly down and sprawled across the sands, unmistakably female.

A corpse, perhaps?

Nobody else could survive this mess…save for her.

Immediately, unbearable midday heat be damned, Venom Snake broke out into a run. 

* * *

Crouching down to lift her face into his hands, he took a closer look. Unconcerned about potential sand scuffing his military-grade boots, Venom’s eye widened.

Her skin felt unbearably warm to the touch. There was a large lump against her throat and some new holes in her stockings. And yet, it really was her.

A vision in his mind formed: Quiet, weakly staggering about, while nearly stumbling against hot desert sands…With one hand pressed against the forming mass in her throat as the other frantically tore more and more material off her legs. In pure desperation for relief which never came.

Certainly, she was stubborn to the bitter end with her sacrifice. And it had been all. For. Him.

Certainly, she would’ve been disgusted if ever told the truth about his mission—perhaps she already suspected, which was why she disappeared to begin with?

Snake knew that he couldn’t blame her, had that turned out to be the case.

Regardless, the least he could do for her was return her kindness in whatever way possible.

Tenderly resting her limp head into his lap, he brushed some now damp brunette strands away from her face. His own face filled with uncertainty, despite having to remind himself that at most(?), Quiet was merely unconscious. His water canteen already unscrewed, tiny droplets made contact with her warm—borderline boiling—skin.

Concerning.

Keeping his eye on her for any signs of rejuvenation, Venom mustered up all the calm composure from his ‘past’ medical life. Hazy memories came to him: Having to patch up the Boss at MSF after a hard day’s work on the field, whether they were minor scrapes or large gashes.

Those agonizingly long days when the Med Bay was swamped with sick or injured staff members in dire need, he’d hear stories the next day from ~~Kaz~~ Master Miller about having patched up Snake himself. Apparently, Snake would be calmly smoking away his cigars, despite ~~Kaz~~ Miller chiding him over such improper manners.

A slight twitch from her fingers, a flutter from still closed eyes, and Venom’s heart nearly stopped, he felt. Somehow, he found the internal strength to find his own voice, regardless whether her own could ever be regained again.

“…Quiet?”

Ever so slowly, Quiet’s eyes opened. Striking green met clear blue after the painful absence, so many long months apart. Wetness formed at the corners of her wide eyes—forever beautiful to him—currently filled with warmth and shock… “Ah.”

Her hand immediately shifted into a thumb, jerking towards her painfully swollen throat. Once again, returning to the silence. Her ex-Buddy’s bloodied form and elongated shrapnel horn were apparently the least of the sniper woman’s concerns.

_Stay away. It’s dangerous._

Her silent warning as his unofficial, self-appointed, protector.

Immediately, his real hand clasped her tension-filled one. Calming warmth. Snake shook his head, speaking firmly yet calm. Forcing a smile, maintaining his composure.

“You’re safe.”

He let go with another slight shake of his head, only to offer her the canteen.

Greedily as a huge grin spread, Quiet was unable to resist sprinkling the water across her face. She giggled, delighting in the cool sensations she missed for so very long.

“Can I ask you something?”

Quiet blinked, unable to look away from this man she sacrificed everything for.

His gaze fell to the sands, their shoulders bumping while sitting side by side, blazing sun upon his back. “Did you know? That I’m not…who you think…I am?”

She blinked again while her face contorted in confusion, barely registering that Venom pressed a button on his iDroid to signal a chopper extraction.

Returning—together—to Diamond Dogs…An awkward bridge to be crossed—together—once they returned.

Quiet shook her head, handing him the canteen back with an eyebrow quirked as she waited for his reply. She did her best to fight her body’s aching fatigue, every limb screaming for rest.

“The man you fought with at the hospital was…”

She could put the pieces together herself. It was easier this way—on the both of them.

Dark butterfly splotches immediately manifested around her narrowed eyes—despite Quiet’s understandable anger, Venom found it something of a welcome sight.

Grunting in annoyance, her arms crossed despite stubbornly refusing to avert their shared gaze. She was far too intent on seeking answers.

Boldly, Snake took her hand into his own. His real one. Warmth spread outwards from the sensation of fingertips across skin. Quiet permitted him to see the tiniest of smiles.

That reassurance made his lonely days almost entirely worth it.

“It was to protect him from Skull Face, the world at large.” His verbal explanation sounded rather weak, in his own mind, but simplest was sometimes the best. “I only found out recently myself.”

“Mh.” A nod of understanding. No reason she couldn’t trust him, after their time together.

“Are you…angry?”

Cupping her hands on either side of his face, Quiet calmly stared into his lone eye. Her own, surprisingly, was filled with…

The contact of her lips against his forehead, her tenderness in minding his shrapnel horn, certainly left him taken aback. Despite Venom’s understanding this was all she could do for him, considering the unfair hand fate had dealt her, it was undeserved affection.

Not after how many he killed.

Not when he felt utterly lost—humiliatingly _weak_ —without her inner strength to help balance him.

“Humph!”

Quiet outright…huffed, as Venom blinked in surprise.

His defeatist attitude wouldn’t do. Her physical strength somewhat reinvigorated thanks to prior hydration, she pulled Snake into a hug—tightly, against her chest—implications aside.

His cheeks turned slightly red. Quiet couldn’t help but think that was charming, before lightly planting a kiss atop his head. Her sadness that their lips could never come into contact due to her parasites wasn’t the main issue, not right now.

Remaining locked in their embrace, they waited for the familiar whirring of Pequod’s chopper to approach their destination.

They’d return home, together. To hell with how any of the others would react.

* * *

“What do you want, _Snake_?”

Kazuhira, sitting in his office within Diamond Dogs, couldn’t help but snarl at the low chuckles coming in, through a scrambled radio signal. His piles of paperwork—less than halfway finished, due to having to write left-handed the past year—could certainly wait. That deep voice was one he’d never forget, one that he’d been kept waiting to hear for over a decade.

Yet the voice momentarily didn’t reply. Mere static was Miller’s companion.

Kaz, limping over to his window, peered through the blinds—why use his crutch in the privacy of his own office? His faded gaze fell to the helipad on the platform far below.

“They might someday run off together, y’know, and abandon your plans for absolutely nothing. It would serve you right.”

Snake’s response was utterly unperturbed. If the phantom refused to be his phantom, well.

“There’s always a backup plan or another solution to everything. As long as I stay put, that’s what presently matters. Besides…”

He exhaled cigar smoke through his end of the line in careful thought. This was all Zero’s doing, based on what Adam once insisted. Like hell John would force _himself_ to be the scapegoat.

“Ahab finding happiness…I can’t say I fully object to that.”

Snake’s former second-in-command merely scoffed, continuing to stare through that crack in the blinds. He winced from the sun’s rays—despite wearing his usual aviators—especially required due to latent photo-sensitivity.

His dim eyes managed clear focus at the chopper gradually coming in for a landing. He swallowed back a forming lump within his throat.

Venom was tenderly assisting Quiet down—memories formed, of the phantom’s arm around himself. Venom, nearly a year ago by now, had helped the limping, exhausted, subcommander away from what felt like weeks of excruciating torture, all _finally_ in the past.

“…Kaz?”

The subcommander didn’t reply, prior pangs of irritation entangled with various mixed up emotions, were momentarily quieted.

All due to the sight before him.

Quiet, rolling her eyes, easily lifted Venom down from the chopper with a jump—embracing the loudly laughing Diamond Dogs commander tenderly in her arms,  _bridal-style_. Somehow, Kaz couldn’t help the sudden chuckle escape from his own throat.

Jealousy wasn’t festering deep within his heart.

Not anymore.

**Author's Note:**

> The referenced unused audio (which was mentioned in an MGS Reddit discussion somewhere; Youtube has a bunch of unused MGSV files voiced by Kiefer Sutherland and company): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69m70hLAPwc 
> 
> JackBoss and VQuiet parallels: Ooh, my feelings...


End file.
